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Brussels (dpa) – EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reacted with great sadness to the death of Pope Francis. “With his humility and his sincere love for the less fortunate, he inspired millions, far beyond the boundaries of the Catholic Church,” von der Leyen wrote on the platform X.
“My thoughts are with all those who feel this deep loss. May the thought comfort them that the legacy of Pope Francis will continue to guide us all towards a more just, peaceful, and compassionate world,” von der Leyen added.
EU Council President António Costa also honored the pontiff, who died at the age of 88. Pope Francis was a man of deep compassion, he wrote on the platform X. The great global challenges of our time – migration, climate change, inequality, peace – were as close to his heart as the everyday problems of all people. He further wrote: “May his ideas continue to lead us into a hopeful future.”
Von der Leyen and Costa will participate in the memorial services for Francis in Rome, as their spokespeople announced on Tuesday in Brussels. The Pope, who took office in 2013 from the resigned Benedict XVI, is to be buried on Saturday in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in the Italian capital.
EU Chief Diplomat Kaja Kallas expressed her condolences to “all Catholics around the world.” She learned with great sadness that the pontiff had passed away, Kallas wrote on the platform X. “When we recently met in Rome, I thanked Pope Francis for his strong leadership in protecting the most vulnerable and defending human dignity.” (April 21)